Postgraduate students are integral to the academic life of the Department of Psychology; we aim to deliver high quality supervision and to contribute research of international quality. The goal of the structured MSc by research programme is to provide a high quality research experience with integrated taught support. Structured support is offered through transferable skills modules and specialist modules to provide students with academic and professional skills needed for employment, career progression or continuing education through PhD study. Our Department makes an internationally distinctive and vibrant contribution to research and practice through four intersecting themes:
Rehabilitation, Disability & Health Psychology – researching the well-being of individuals and communities and their service provision, in terms of impairments/disability, assistive technologies, coping and empowerment; using quantitative and qualitative methods.
Mental Health, Community & Positive Psychology – focusing on the psychology of mental health and well-being of individuals, families and communities, as well as service provision and evaluation, with emphasis on vulnerability, marginalisation, resilience, and personal growth (using mixed methods approaches).
Neuroscience, Behaviour & Cognition – employing experimental methods to understand and address fundamental challenges in intelligence, thought processes, neuronal functioning and human and animal behaviour.
Organisations, Systems and Policy – researching complex systems problems, of inter-relatedness and change; using qualitative, quantitative and policy techniques, working with a broad range of businesses, service providers and international agencies.
Our MSc students gain training and experience in conducting high-quality empirical research, in an environment characterised by a warm welcoming atmosphere.
Master's students must take a minimum of 10 credits in taught modules (5 in generic/ transferable modules and 5 in specialist modules). Selection of specific modules within the programme will be tailored to the needs and experiences of individual students.
PhD students are an integral part of the academic life of MU's Department of Psychology; we aim to deliver high-quality supervision and to produce research of international quality. The goal of the structured PhD programme is to provide a high quality research experience with integrated taught support. Structured support is offered through transferable skills modules and specialist modules to provide students with academic and professional skills needed for employment and career progression within, and outside of, academia.
The core objective of the PhD programme involves a substantial and original contribution to psychological knowledge in a given research field, and the production of research outputs suitable for peer reviewed publication. PhD research students must take a minimum of 30 credits in taught modules (15 in transferable modules and 15 in specialist modules).
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Psychology at Maynooth is a vibrant and internationally-recognised centre of excellence in research on health, mental health and community psychology, biobehavioural processes, cognition and neuroscience. Students and academics work in state-of-the-art research facilities that include an ERP laboratory, as well as neuroscience, social psychology, and developmental psychology laboratories.